Making and Canning Fresh Tomatoes with a Pressure Canner!

Making and canning your own tomatoes with a pressure canner is something
families remember years later. Home-canned tomatoes have been a tradition
for many generations. In the middle of the winter, you can use the
tomatoes to make a fresh spaghetti sauce, lasagna, chili, or other tomato-based
meals for that fresh garden taste. If you have a water bath canner, you
may want to see the
water bath canning tomatoes page for those directions instead!

Here's how to do it, in easy steps and completely illustrated. This method is
so easy, ANYONE can do this! It's a great thing to do with your kids!

Ingredients

Yield: about 7 quarts

Tomatoes - about 20 lbs to make 7 quarts (7 large tomatoes will
fill one quart jar.)

lemon juice - fresh or bottled (about 1/2 cup)

Equipment

1 Pressure Canner (a huge pressure pot to sanitize the jars
after filling (about $80 to $200. Note: we sell many sizes and types of
pressure canners for all types of stoves and needs - see
pressure canners).

Pint or quart canning jars (Ball or Kerr jars can be found at
Publix, Kroger, Safeway and local "big box" stores - about $9 per dozen jars including the lids and rings). Quart jars are more economical!

1 quart tomato juice (or plain water)

Large spoons and ladles

Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that
seals them against the top of the jar. They may only be used once.

Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars. They may
be reused many times.

Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)

Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling water
where you sanitize them. ($2 at mall kitchen stores and local "big box"
stores, but it's usually cheaper online from our affiliates)

1 large pot (to scald the tomatoes, step 3) and 1 medium
sized pot to heat the tomato juice or water to add to the jars (step
6) and 1 small pot to sanitize the lids.

Process - How to Make Home Canned Tomatoes from Fresh
Tomatoes Using a Pressure Canner

Step
1 - Selecting the tomatoes

It's fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better quality
tomatoes!

At right is a picture of tomatoes from my garden -
they are so much better than anything from the grocery store. And if you
don't have enough, a pick-your-own farm is the pace to go! At right are
4 common varieties that will work:

Top left: Beefsteak

Top right: Lemon Boy, yellow

Bottom left: Roma, paste-type

Bottom right: Better Boy

The
picture at right shows the best variety of tomato to use: Roma; also called
paste tomatoes. They have fewer sides, thicker, meatier walls, and
less water.
And that means thicker sauce in less cooking time!

Also,
you don't want mushy, bruised or rotten tomatoes!

And for
those of you with an abundance of green tomatoes, the USDA says that since
green tomatoes are more acidic than ripened fruit, they can be canned safely
with any of the standard tomato directions. I prefer to store them in the
basement, where they slowly ripen, but if you have a use later for canned
green tomatoes, go for it.

Step 2 - Get the jars and lids sanitizing

The
dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle.
I get that going while I'm preparing everything else, so it's done by the
time I'm ready to fill the jars. If you don't have a dishwasher,
submerge the jars in a large pot (the canner itself) of water and bring it
to a boil.

Be sure to let it go through the rinse cycle to get rid of any soap!

Get the canner heating up

Fill
the canner about 1/2 full of water and start it heating (with the lid loosely
on). That's more water than you will need, but we don't want the canner to
boil dry!

Get a the medium pot of water or tomato juice heating

This is also a good time to get your 1 quart of tomato juice and/or water
boiling (you will use it to fill any air spaces in the jars in step 6).

Start the water for the lids

Put
the lids into the small pot of boiling water for at least several minutes.
Note: everything gets sanitized in the water bath (step 7) anyway, so this just
helps to ensure there is no spoilage later!)

Step
3 - Removing the tomato skins

Here's a trick you may not know: put the tomatoes, a few at a time in a
large pot of boiling water for no more than 1 minute (30 - 45 seconds is
usually enough)

then....

Plunge them into a waiting bowl of ice water.

This
makes the skins slide right off of the tomatoes! If you leave the
skins in, they become tough and chewy in the sauce, not very pleasant.

Step
4 - Removing the skins, bruises and tough parts

The skins should practically slide off the tomatoes. then you can
cut the tomatoes in quarters and remove the tough part around the stem and
any bruised or soft parts.

Step 5 - Fill the jars with the whole or cut tomatoes

Fill
them to within 1/4-inch of the top with the tomatoes.

Be sure the contact surfaces (top of the jar and underside of the ring) are
clean to get a good seal!

Step 6 - Add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and liquid

After
you fill each jar with tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per quart jar,
1 per pint jar. This helps to reduce the odds of spoilage and to retain
color and flavor. Then fill to 1/2 inch of the top with either boiling water or
boiling tomato juice.

Step 7 - Free any trapped air bubbles

Using
a flat plastic or wood utensil (like a plastic spoon, up side down) free trapped
air bubbles by gently sliding it up and down around the inside edge.

Step 8 - Put the lids and rings on

Just
screw them on snugly, not too tight. If the is any tomato on the surface
of the lip of the jar, wipe it off first with a clean dry cloth or paper towel.

Step 9 - Put the jars in the pressure canner

Put
them in the pressure canner and put the lid on. Do not put the
weight on yet. There should be about 3 inches of boiling water in bottom
of the canner, or as specified by your pressure canner's directions.. If
there is too much water in it, just pour some out.

Step 10 - Vent the Canner

Let
the canner vent steam for 10 minutes. Keep the water boiling. Note in the photo
at right that the weight is not on, although the lid is crewed down tight
Steam will vent out of the weight hole.

Step 11 - Seal and process

After
venting, put
the
weight on (or close the valve) and let it heat up and build pressure to the
pressure for your type of pressure canner in the tables below. With a dial-type
(the type I have, I use 11 lbs as it is quicker. Process the jars in a press
bath for 10 or 15 minutes as appropriate from the table below. Remember to
adjust the time if you are at a different altitude other than sea level! Notice
in the photo at left, the weight is on and the safety valve (bottom right has
popped up and the pressure is just starting to build. the photo at right
shows the pressure up to 11 lbs. When it reaches 11 lbs, turn the heat
down and adjust it up or down, as needed, to maintain 11 lbs.

Recommended process time for water-packed Whole
or Halved Tomatoes in a
dial-gauge pressure
canner

Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes above Sea Level of

Jar Size

Process Time

0 - 2,000 ft

2,001 - 4,000 ft

4,001 - 6,000 ft

6,001 - 8,000 ft

Pints or Quarts

15 min

6 lb

7 lb

8 lb

9 lb

10

11

12

13

14

Recommended process time for water-packed Whole or Halved Tomatoes
in a
weighted-gauge
pressure canner.

Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes

Jar Size

Process Time

0 - 1,000 ft

Above 1,000 ft

Pints or
Quarts

15 min

5 lb

10 lb

The
photo at left shows the pressure canner operating and processing the
tomatoes (although the gauge shows it is not up to full pressure, 11 lbs
yet).

Step 12 - Done

Lift
the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping
them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You can then
remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen
them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture.
Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying
that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently,
with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound),
it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you
can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar,
then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them
(with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.
Don't worry if you see the tomatoes floating above a layer of liquid;
that's normal. Tomatoes have a lot of water in them and it
separates a bit. If I had packed the tomatoes in the jars a bit
tighter or squeezed for of the free liquid out of them before packing
them in the jars, the water layer would be reduced.

Now, just
store them in a cool, dark place and use them as needed over the next year!

Frequently Asked Questions about Canning Tomatoes

A frequent problem is the separation of water from the tomatoes.
Why does the water separate from the solids in tomatoes?

Scenario 1 - liquid at the top and solids at the bottom

Home canned tomatoes, tomato juice, and tomato sauces with liquid at the
top and solids at the bottom is quite normal. It only reflects that the
juice was made prior to heating. For example, the tomatoes were chopped, run
through the steamer, sieve, or food mill while still raw and prior to
heating.

As soon as they are chopped or crushed, enzymes start to break down the
pectin that helps to hold tomato cells together. The enzyme that causes
separation is activated by exposure to air and inactivated by heat. In
commercial production, tomatoes are flash heated nearly to boiling in a
matter of seconds, using equipment not available to consumers. Because the
pectin holding tomato cells together is not exposed to air when cold, it
remains intact, and a thick bodied, homogeneous juice is produced.

The solution is to leave tomatoes whole or in large chunks (do not
chop). Heat before chopping or juicing to minimize the separation.

The best way to do that at home is to heat quartered tomatoes quickly to
boiling temperatures WHILE crushing. You can also heat the blanched, peeled
whole tomatoes in the microwave, then crush them!

Make sure the mixture boils constantly and vigorously while you add the
remaining tomatoes. Simmer 5 minutes after all tomatoes are added, before
juicing. If you are not concerned about juice separating, simply slice or
quarter tomatoes into a large saucepan. Crush, heat and simmer for 5 minutes
before juicing.

Scenario 2 - liquid at the bottom and solids at the top (note the
photo is step 10)

What about the reverse: liquid at the bottom and solids at the top? That
indicates too much preheating (more than 5 minutes). Pectin breaks down when
it is overheated; then separation results. If separation occurs, just shake
the jar before opening or Decant the water off.

After I removed the jars of tomatoes from the canner, the jars
had lost a lot of liquid and were about half-empty. What happened?
Are they safe?

There are several possible causes:

The food was not heated prior to filling (Raw pack method) -

The food was packed too tightly in the jars

Air bubbles were not removed prior to sealing the lids and rings on
the jars

The pressure canner was cooled too quickly

Starchy foods, such as corn, peas or lima beans, absorbed all the
liquid. Use more liquid with these starchy vegetables.

The jars were filled too full.

Fluctuating pressure in the pressure canner. Let pressure return to
zero gradually, avoiding the sudden release of pressure through the
vent. Do not hasten the cooling with cold water.

As long as the jars remained sealed, they'll be ok, but they
should be checked more frequently and used up first!

Other Equipment:

From left to right:

Jar lifting tongs to pick up hot jars

Lid lifter - to remove lids from the pot of boiling
water (sterilizing )

Lid - disposable - you may only use them once

Ring - holds the lids on the jar until after the jars
cool - then you don't need them

Canning jar funnel - to fill the jars

Home Canning Kits

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used
to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and
spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts
for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a
plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball
Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll
never need anything else except jars & lids! To see
more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!For
more information and current pricing:

Grocery stores, like Publix,
Kroger and Safeway and local "big box" stores; sometimes Big Lots and even
hardware stores

$4.50

Lemon juice

14 Tablespoons

$0.50

Grocery store

$0.50

Total

$5.00 total
or about $0.72 per jar INCLUDING the jars - which you can reuse!

* - This assumes you already have the pots, pans, ladles, and reusable
equipment. Note that you can reuse the jars! Many products are sold in
jars that will take the lids and rings for canning. For example,
Classico Spaghetti sauce is in quart sized jars that work with Ball and
Kerr lids and rings. Note that the Classico's manufacturer does not
recommend reuse of their jars:
see what they have to say on this page.

Tomatoes are a borderline acid / low acid fruit (see
this page about tomato acidity for more information) - adding lemon juice
helps, processing at least 35 minutes in the water bath canner, or better still,
using a pressure canner almost eliminates spoilage. If you don't have a
pressure canner, you must boost the acid level of the sauce, by adding 2
tablespoons of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid per quart of sauce.

The question everyone asks: Can you add meat?

With a water bath canner, absolutely, definitely NOT. The
temperatures do not get high enough to kill the type of bacteria that can attack
meat and make you sick, or even kill you. However, with a pressure canner,
it IS possible. I have
complete directions here! I don't do it, simply because... have you ever
tasted canned meat? Yes, it is called SPAM. My recommendation is to
can without the meat and add fresh browned ground meat or meatballs when you use
the sauce!

I have read in other homemade spaghetti sauce recipes that you need to
cook the mixture for at least 4-5 hours. Is this necessary?

I suppose if you really want to make sure that absolutely no vitamins
survive, you could cook it that long! :) The only reason people used to tomato
sauce that long was the Roma paste-type tomatoes, with thicker walls, meatier
with fewer seeds and less water didn't exist, so they had to cook it for hours
to get rid of water and thicken it. And of course, modern sauce mixes that
contain a little bit of corn starch as a thickener, also help shorten the time.

And for those who want to go strictly organic and au naturale, my method of
squeezing out the excess water and seeds eliminates much of the excess juice
(which you can save as tomato juice for drinking) and lets you start with a
thicker tomato pulp which means much shorter cooking time!

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)! There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if you want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see
more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!
Don't forget the Ball Blue Book!

Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc.

Need lids, rings and replacement jars? Or pectin to make jam,
spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes? Get them all here, and
usually at lower prices than your local store!

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